Volunteering > Volunteer for the Students' Union > Advice Front of House volunteer

Volunteering

Volunteering is an enjoyable way for you to make a difference, provides a fantastic opportunity for you to develop key skills for your future career and to check out possible career paths. On top of that it’s a great way to make new friends, to do something different from your studies and to get a different perspective of life.

We offer you the opportunity to volunteer in a wide variety of locally based organisations and community projects as well as for the Students' Union.

There are lots of options to choose from and we will help you find the volunteering placement that is right for you so contact us for more information.

► Advice Front of House volunteer

Volunteers look after the Advice & Representation Centre's reception desk, providing a friendly welcome to visitors and callers to the Centre, dealing with their initial enquiries and making appointments with the Centre's advisers. They also help publicise the work of the Centre amongst students

We will be expanding this role so that more experienced volunteers will, for example, offer a tenancy agreement checking service.

We are currently looking for volunteers to start with us from the beginning of the 2012/13 academic year. If you'd like to find out more about volunteering with us please come to our short information session at 1pm on Tuesday 29 May 2012 in the Advice & Representation Centre reception area, or contact us for more details -

E: advice@ussu.sussex.ac.uk

T: 01273 877038

Volunteer helping a student

About the Advice & Representation Centre

We offer ongoing casework, representation and support upon academic, housing, complaints, disciplinaries, employment, consumer and specialist money issues
We undertake evidence-based research, to help shape the Union’s campaigning work
We develop peer-led support initiatives with a focus on practical solutions – e.g. apeer-led tenancy checking service.

The advice service employs professional advisers and two of the Union’s full-time elected representatives (the Education and Welfare Officers) work in the Advice & Representation Centre

The other very important aspect of what we offer from the Centre is support for the democratic workings and representative functions of the Union. The Union’s Representation & Democracy Coordinator is based in the Centre – for example they help support the Student Reps Scheme and are responsible for the smooth running of Union elections.

For further details about what we do go to www.sussexstudent.com/advice

Role description

Accountable to: Assistant Director (Advice & Representation) and Volunteer Coordinator

Time commitment: 2 hours per week during term-time volunteering on the Centre’s Reception desk during core hours (10am – 4pm Mon – Fri during term-time), attendance at one volunteer team meeting per term, attendance at one one-on-one support session with the volunteer coordinator per term

The purpose of the role

As part of a team, to provide a friendly welcome to visitors to the Advice & Representation Centre
To answer and where necessary refer on enquiries from visitors to the Centre
To provide initial information upon ‘welfare issues’ – e.g. student funding and housing - to visitors to the Centre and book appointments with the Centre’s advisers and the elected officers
To provide sexual health information to visitors to the Centre
To help promote the Union’s advice service
To assist with administrative tasks essential to the running of the Centre

Main tasks and responsibilities

1. To be the first point of contact for visitors to the Advice & Representation Centre, answer simple telephone and email queries and refer as appropriate or take messages.

2. To help students use the information resources in the Centre.

3. To book appointments for students with the advisers and the Education and Welfare Officers.

4. To provide initial information upon:

Common student welfare issues – e.g. what to do if your student loan hasn’t arrived or what to do if your landlord won’t return your deposit
Other University services e.g. the Student Support Unit
External agencies/organisations as appropriate

5. To provide sexual health information, c-card scheme, Chlamydia postal tests, pregnancy take away packs and sign posting to relevant services in Brighton and Hove.

6. To help promote the Union’s advice service at events like Freshers Fair.

7. To undertake essential administrative tasks e.g. assist with statistical recording and help maintain our information resources.

8. To follow all the Centre and Students’ Union policies and procedures.

9. Undertake any other tasks as might reasonably be asked by Centre staff – your ideas are very welcome too!

Benefits of this role

We will provide training in:

basic listening and information-giving skills
how to deal with people in distress or who are anxious
the principles and ethos of advice work
the information you will need in order to deal with simple enquiries, provide initial assistance and assess whether further help and advice are required
basic sexual health, including how to issue C-cards and give out condoms, pregnancy test training (to explain take away tests), how to do a Chlamydia screen (postal tests) and the different services available for Sussex students.

You will also gain experience in dealing with the public, learn how to improve your communication, interpersonal, organisational and office administration skills, find out how an advice service works and gain more understanding of student welfare issues.

Further information

We would like you to volunteer for one 2 hour shift per week. The core times which we need volunteers for are:

Mondays – Fridays 10am – 4pm.

The shifts will be:

Monday - Friday 10am – midday
Midday – 2pm
2pm – 4pm.

You are very welcome to volunteer for more than 2 hours a week if you’d like to!

Please note that we will only be asking you to volunteer during term-time.

To find out more information about this role please contact us